Shaun the Sheep is back! In 1995, Aardman Animation released its third Wallace and Gromit stop motion animated short, A Close Shave, which co-starred an adorable little sheep that became an instant fan-favorite. This little sheep would go on to star in his own TV series, and now the third and fourth seasons of Shaun the Sheep are on DVD in one convenient set, which is available today!

I first saw Shaun in the Wallace and Gromit short when I was a kid, in the late ’90s/early 2000s. Like all of Aardman’s amazing characters I loved him right away and years later I was thrilled to learn that he had his own series in the UK. However, until recently, it has been rather hard to to actually watch the show. If, like me, you don’t have cable/satellite, there aren’t too many ways to see it in America, outside of the DVDs. But, if you’re an Aardman fan, I highly recommend you get them!

Shaun the Sheep is not as popular here in America as it is in the UK, which I guess is understandable. It has a very British sensibility about it and the humor is all very British, even though they never say a word. However, for me, that’s a huge plus. I grew up watching British television every Saturday on PBS, so half of my sense of humor has a very British edge to it.

The show is pretty straightforward. Every episode is about Shaun’s adventures in the British countryside with the other members of his flock of sheep. You wouldn’t think that such a premise could yield a series that has lasted for five seasons, a movie, a coming sequel, a Christmas special, and three seasons of a second spin-off series, but the creative minds at Aardman are always thinking up new and creative ways to use these characters.

I love Shaun’s quaint humor, the pantomime situations, and the extremely British setting. The show is simple, but hilarious in its own charming way, and everyone I’ve shown it to has loved it as well. It’s actually now one of my cousin’s kids’ favorite shows, thanks to the DVDs.

This particular set is the one to get if you’re a completionist. It contains every episode from the third and fourth seasons of Shaun, which totals up to 50 episodes! The episodes are a pretty standard length for cartoons, each one clocking in at around seven or eight minutes. All in all, there is over six hours of content on these disks, which makes the $15 price tag a great bargain.

The one downside to the set is that there are no special features to be found whatsoever. As someone who loves to see behind-the-scenes featurettes for animated films and television, I was a bit disappointed. Especially since this series is completely stop motion! I would have loved to see the team at Aardman building the characters and sets. However, as the set is two complete seasons, and they are all quality episodes, I can’t complain too loudly. I will be content to just watch the cartoons.

In the end, if you are a fan of Shaun the Sheep, Aardman Animation, or even just stop motion animation in general, then you really owe it to yourself to pick up this set. It is chock full of charming British humor, great animation, and fun, memorable characters. It’s a perfect set to watch by yourself, or share with friends and family. It’s one of those rare shows that truly is fun for everyone.

Purchase: Shaun the Sheep:Seasons 3 & 4

Have you seen Shaun the Sheep? Will you be checking out this set?

About Jonathan North

Jonathan North is writer, photographer, video editor, and animation fan from Iowa. He studied advertising and design at Iowa State University, and also has degrees in multimedia and art. His favorite movie is Fantasia, and his favorite cartoon is Gravity Falls. Or maybe Steven Universe. He can’t decide. You can find more of his work on his blog, as well as his YouTube channel, where he reviews all manner things, including (almost) every version ever of Alice in Wonderland. His favorites are the 1999 version starring Tina Majorino, and of course, the 1951 Disney version. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, @jonjnorth.